Toasted Marshmallow Quest 2010
Released: August 29, 2010 Retired: August 30, 2010 Welcome to The VFK Toasted Marshmallow Quest! Monday, August 30th is National Toasted Marshmallow Day! This is the perfect day to celebrate the fantastic toast-able marshmallow! Marshmallow toasting over a campfire is a fun tradition. Some prefer their marshmallows toasted to a light caramel color, while others love it scorched to a crisp. Marshmallows can even flame up into a torch to light up a campsite on a dark night! On today's quest we are going to look into the incredible history of marshmallows! Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 Credits, a Flaming Marshmallow Torch - Blue Flame, and a Flaming Marshmallow Torch - Red Flame! Prizes Quest Q&A 1. Four thousand years ago, the Egyptians were making candy using the sap of a wild herb which grew in the marshes. The sap could be stirred up with honey and other ingredients to make a rich candy for important people such as the pharaohs. What was the common name of this herb? : a. Marshmallow : b. Althea Officinalice : c. Common Marshmallow : d. All of the above 2. The marsh part of the plant's name originated because the plant grew in marshy areas and near ponds and lakes. The "mallow" part is because it is a perennial Mallow, part of the hibiscus family. Native to Europe and Asia, Marshmallow is also found in the Eastern US growing in swamps and roadside ditches. Go to King Arthur's Round Table in Medieval Age, and say: "Marshmallows are fit for kings!" 3. For centuries different cultures have relied on the marshmallow plant for both food and medicine. The root and the leaves of the marshmallow contain a substance which when it becomes wet, swells up and becomes a slippery gel. This soothes irritations of the mouth, throat and stomach. It has also long been used as a cough medicine as well as to treat skin problems. What is this substance called? : a. Mucilage : b. Fusulage : c. Leafage : d. Patronage 4. For medicine, doctors would take the sap of the plant, whip it up into a meringue with egg whites and sugar, and then harden them into candies. The candies were used as cough drops and sore throat lozenges. It was also made into many other remedies including a tea. Go to the Central Square in Medieval Age, and say: "Mini marshmallows!" 5. Marshmallows as a candy became popular in the mid 1800's. Small candy makers in France added egg whites and sugar to the marshmallow sap, whipped it by hand and poured it into candy molds. The candy was expensive due to the time consuming process. To meet the growing demand, candy makers substituted the mallow root with what substance? : a. Cornstarch : b. Gelatin : c. Molassis : d. Yogurt 6. Candy makers in Europe created the starch mogul process in the late 1800's to make marshmallows faster. The process used marshmallow molds made of cornstarch. When marshmallows were introduced into the United States in the early 1900's, they quickly grew in popularity. Go to the Undersea Window in Australia and say: "Do you like marshmallows?" 7. In 1948, an "extrusion process" for making marshmallows was invented and patented in the United States. The process, which revolutionized marshmallow manufacturing, included taking the marshmallow confection and pushing it through tubes which were then cut, cooled and packaged. The invention enabled marshmallows to be used for everyday treats. Who invented this process? : a. Archibald Query : b. Alex Doumak : c. H. Allen Durkey : d. Fred L. Mower 8. Alex Doumak's family company was called Campfire. Over the years, marshmallows have been included in many treats such as candy bars, cereal, and ice cream. They have also been made into shapes called "Peeps." Go to the Night Fighter's Outer Lobby in Space Age, and say: "Let's toast marshmallows!" 9. One of America's favorite traditions is toasting marshmallows around a campfire! No one really knows for sure when this tradition originated. We do know, however, one of the first camp fire recipes using toasted marshmallows. What was the recipe? : a. Melted Marshmallow Snowman : b. Toasted Peanut and Marshmallow Sandwich : c. S'mores : d. Campfire Cookies 10. The Girlscout handbook of 1927 contained the first known recipe using toasted marshmallows. The recipe combined graham crackers, chocolate and toasted marshmallows together. This enduring treat, over time, has picked up the name, s'mores. Go to the Fireworks Lobby in Victorian Age, where it is perfect for toasting marshmallows, and say: "May I please have some more s'mores?" Press continue to finish the quest.